Hello! My name is Ryoko Tamura. I'm 18 years old and I will soon be 19 in January. I've been going to Tokoha university since this spring. I take English in the Foreign language faculty, and I enjoy playing volleyball in the volleyball club four times a week. I'm interested in Japanese culture and foreign cultures now, so in the future, I want to visit a lot of countries.
I would like to introduce traditional Japanese paper in Japanese culture. Traditional Japanese paper has been handed down through a long history of 1200 years. It is used many areas of Japanese life. For example, in a Japanese house, you can see shouji, fusuma, kakejiku, etc. Shouji and fusuma are two kinds of sliding doors. I like shouji very much. Shouji is usually used as a door in front of the glass door or window, and keeps the room warm in winter and, moreover, the sun shine through the shouji is soft and very beautiful.
Kakejiku is a hanging scoll with picture. Origami is a very popular and famous Japanese game. We make things like animals with the beautiful origami paper.
We use traditional Japanese paper in many ways in many events of year. For example, decorations for the New Year, toys, gifts for celebrations,etc. Traditional Japanese paper is very beautiful and makes us feel warm and relaxed. Now, it is usual to use of western-style paper in Japan but traditional Japanese paper still has a precious place in our lives.
Recently, traditional Japanese paper has been receiving artistic praise around the world. I hope that the wonder of traditional Japanese paper will be known to many people in the world and I hope to it will continue forever as one example of Japanese culture.
Africafe is an instant coffee which was born in Tanzania. Coffee beans of Africafe are made at Bukoba in Tanzania Bokoba is a beautiful town filled with nature. For example the west shore of Biktria lake which is famous as one of the three most beautiful lakes in Tanzania.
In Tanzania more than 130 tribes are gathered and they each have different languages, cultures, and habits. Bukoba is a town of a Haya tribe and they are hardworking at everything and the most industrious tribe in Tanzania. They haven't racial prejudice and they are friendly people. Maybe one reason is that they live in a border town 90% of them are farmers and most of them have something to do with the coffee cultivation. People in Bukoba are proud of Africafe and they cultivate it with in a traditional organic agricultural way making the best use of the good climate condition and rich soil. Of course they never use agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizer for Africafe
The characteristic of Africafe is bitterness and sourness. They are matched and also good for your health. In Tanzania there are 2 ways of drinking Africafe. One is a Ginger Coffee. In Tanzania Ginger powder is always provided to drink with coffee and people sprinkle it in Africafe and drink it. Ginger Coffee has a good smell and taste and also Ginger warms our bodies and it is good for health.
Another is a Salty Coffee. This is a popular way for Muslims in Tanzania to drink coffee. They just sprinkle a little salt in Africafe like sprinkling it on boiled eggs Taste become soft and bland. Africafe is start to be sold in Japan from this year. If you get Africafe‚ please try these ways of drinking Africafe.